Deitel books are the best

I then discovered there was a Deitel book on PERL. I should have checked for that first as I have two other Deitel books and love them. This was way better than the Llama or Camel book. There are many programming examples and they are all in the context of a complete working program or several html and PERL files. That is exactly what I was looking for - examples, working code, complete programs, and not too much talk.

I think the Llama and Camel books are for people with more patience. I do think the Camel book would be a good resource for more advanced programming.

Best Bet for Novice Programmers

     I must agree with the consensus of extremely positive reviews. This book does an excellent job of introducing programming to the complete novice using Perl as a first language. The writing is clear, if a little wordy, but first-timers will appreciate the authors' efforts to clearly and thoroughly TEACH the material rather than just lay it all out on the page with little guidance. The summaries at the end of the chapters are great for quick review, and the exercises are quite challenging (with hints provided when necessary).

Perhaps the greatest asset here is the Live-Code approach, in which code examples are shown in their entirety, including the output the reader should expect upon execution of the program. The authors then go on to dissect each program line by line, making sure that the reader knows exactly what is happening, and why, every step of the way. I found this approach to be more useful than any other I've seen in any programming book.

The book also emphasized for me the appropriateness of Perl as a first programming language. While it has its quirks, it also has some great advantages, i.e., the ability to write and run console applications (great for learning), a fast compiler, and the fact that it is loosely typed. Add to all this the glossy color pages, and the included CD (which allows users to install a completely configured distribution of Perl 5.6 from ActiveState, and NuSphere's MySQL), and you have the most comprehensive learning Perl solution on the market. It may be pricey, the it is really worth every penny!

Another fine book from the Deitel's

     I have to say that I was surprised to even find this book on the shelf. Deitel books are always in demand. I am halfway through the 4th chapter....and I am thoroughly impressed. I work as a software engineer, and in my travels have come across and read many different perl books. What I did not have was a book to fill in the blanks on the more obscure details. For example, I know to specify "use strict" in my scripts, but what are the specific reasons for this. From peeking ahead in the book, there are thorough explanations of data structures, and the uses of perl with xml. I can honestly say, whether you are a beginner or a skilled programmer...this book has a lot to offer. Buy it.